In recent years, so-called single-use or disposable cameras have become popular, such as those disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,890,130 and 5,235,366. Such cameras typically include an internal frame molded from a suitable plastic material. Mounted on the internal frame may be various internal camera components such as a thumbwheel for advancing the film, a taking lens and shutter assembly, a viewfinder, and a frame counterwheel, all of whose functions are familiar to those skilled in the camera technologies. The internal frame includes chambers for receiving a light-tight cartridge enclosing a spool to which is attached a trailing end of a filmstrip.
In one known method of loading film into the frame of a single-use camera, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,649, the film strip is withdrawn from the cartridge, leaving the trailing end attached to the spool. The withdrawn portion of the filmstrip is then formed into a scroll on a quill. The cartridge is moved axially into a first chamber in the frame, to permit the spool to engage a rotatable coupling mounted on the frame. The scroll is inserted axially or radially into a second chamber in the frame; so that, a length of filmstrip extends between the scroll and the cartridge, after which the quill is withdrawn. In another method, the cartridge and scroll first are mounted in retainers on the back cover of the camera and the quill is withdrawn. The cartridge and scroll then are inserted into their respective chambers when the back cover is assembled to the camera frame. In still another method, the cartridge is installed in a first chamber in the camera frame and the leading end of the filmstrip is threaded across the camera to a take-up spool in a second, opposite chamber. The filmstrip is then wound from the cartridge to the spool by engaging the spool with an external winding quill. In all instances, the user of the camera indexes the film back into the cartridge as pictures are taken.
Although the methods of loading disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,649 appear to have been used rather widely, some problems have arisen. Regardless of the loading method used, either the chamber for the scroll must be completely open at one end to allow axial insertion of a scroll of film; or a rather deep, radial notch must be provided in an end wall of the chamber. The radial notch serves first to accommodate a quill during insertion of a scroll or rotation of a spool and then to permit the quill to be withdrawn. The requirement for an open end of the chamber or a notched end wall has limited the camera designer's freedom to place various camera components in that location. When the filmstrip is withdrawn from the cartridge after installation into the camera frame, tedious hand operations or complicated threading mechanisms have been needed to attach a leading end of the filmstrip to the take-up spool. So, a need has arisen for improved apparatus and a method for loading such a camera, without requiring an open-ended or notched-wall chamber for the scroll and without requiring complex techniques for attaching a leading end to a take-up spool.
Single-use cameras recently have become available which use an advanced photographic system (APS) cartridge of a type disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,914. The APS cartridge encloses a spool to which a trailing end of a filmstrip is attached. Upon rotation of the spool, the leading end of the film strip is thrust from the cartridge past an open light-lock door. The filmstrip is returned to the cartridge after exposure. During photofinishing, the filmstrip again is thrust from the cartridge for developing and printing, and then returned to the cartridge. Later the customer may desire further photographic prints; so that, the film again must be thrust from the cartridge. Because of this intended repeated use of the cartridge and filmstrip, a need has arisen for apparatus and methods for loading a single-use camera which will ensure that the leading end of the filmstrip will not be damaged during loading. It would be desirable when using APS cartridges to be able to withdraw the filmstrip to form a scroll, in order to avoid using a take-up spool which might increase chances of damaging the leading end.